SKELTON - IN - CLEVELAND
IN HISTORY
1916
8th January - Evacuation of Gallipoli.

14th February - Near Ypres, Belgium.
Death of GEORGE W BLUNDY, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment.
of Skelton Castle.

21st Feb - start of the Battle of Verdun.
The Germans thought they could "bleed" the French forces to death and defeat Britain with a submarine blockade.
They targeted the forts around the town of Verdun in North East France.
Bloody fighting continued until July, by which time around 400,000 men had been killed on each side and little gained in the end as after the Germans called off the attack the French regained much lost territory later in the year.

31st March - The local 4th Yorks Battalion moved from Ypres to defend the line in the Kemmel area.

31st May. Battle of Jutland.
After much chasing and dodging the British Grand Fleet engaged the German High Seas Fleet in the North East area of the North Sea.
The British lost 3 battlecruisers, 3 cruisers and 8 destroyers with 6,100 casualties.

A Postcard of the day produced in London.
Its caption reads - An 18 pounder Field Gun in action. In the hands of a skilful crew it can fire so rapidly that 3 shots will be in the air at the same moment. By automatic adjustment the gun does not need re-sighting after each shot.
The German Navy lost 1 battleship, 1 battlecruiser, 4 light cruisers and 3 destroyers with 2,550 casualties.
The British Admiral, Sir John Jellicoe was criticised for being over-cautious, but he argued that it was vitally important to protect the size of his Grand Fleet.
Whereas Jellicoe was able to inform the British government on 2nd June that the Grand Fleet was ready for further action, the German High Seas Fleet had been considerably damaged and had to be reconstructed
It was never in the position to risk another major North Sea confrontation.

Death of JOHN WILLIAM PARKER, Royal Navy, "HMS Queen Mary" sunk at Jutland,
of 21 William St, North Skelton.

Death of GEORGE WEBSTER, Royal Navy, "HMS Black Prince" sunk at Jutland,
of 24 Green Rd, Skelton.

Hundreds of buildings across the country were opened as "Auxiliary Home Hospitals" to cope with the wounded. 30 places in the North Riding of Yorkshire had one, including Saltburn (Cliffden), Guisborough (Chaloner Hall) and Redcar.

Wharton Hall, Green Rd was used as an
"Auxiliary Home Hospital" during the First World War.
At Skelton the Wharton Hall was fitted out and continued to be used until 1919. 20th June. Near Ypres.
Death of STANLEY VIDEAN, Kings Royal Rifle Corps,
of 78 High St, Skelton.

The Western Front extended almost 1000 km from the Belgian coast to Switzerland.

1st July - Opening of the Battle of the Somme.

The French were being hard pressed at Verdun and the British planned a massive attack in the area of the Somme.

It began with 3 day long artillery bombardment of the German lines, which was supposed to wipe them out and allow a quick breakthrough.

Only five miles of territory was gained for the loss of 58,000 British lives on the first day.

A series of offensives continued until the winter of 1916, by which time the British and French dead numbered 620,000. and 450,000 Germans were killed in the same period.

Wharton Hall, Green Rd,
1st July - Near Albert, Somme.
Death of CHARLES THORNTON, 18th Bn Durham Light Infantry,
of 17 Yeoman St, Skelton.

2nd July - Near Albert, Somme.
Death of ALVIN H MOHUN, Machine Gun Corps (Infantry),
of 9 Boosbeck Rd, Skelton.

July 3rd - Local miner records - "South Skelton Mines big chimney was pulled down."

15th July - Near Ypres.
Death of JOSEPH W SCUFFHAM, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 50 Harker St, Skelton.

30th July - North of Arras, Somme.
Death of ALBERT TATE, 22nd Bn Durham Light Infantry,
of 1 Green Rd, Skelton.

Pte Alvin Mohun of 9 Boosbeck Rd.
The Black Watch and later Machine Gun Corps. Killed 2nd July in the Battle of the Somme.
 The local 4th Yorks Battalion moved South to the Somme area and remained there for the rest of the year.

10th August - Near Albert, Somme.
Death of ROBERT SPEECHLEY, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 12 William St, North Skelton.

8th September - Near Bapaume/Albert, Somme.
Death of JOSEPH W FORSTER, 1/5th Cheshire Regiment,
of 3 Park St, Skelton.

14th September - Near Albert, Somme.
Death of ALLAN H ROOKS, 6th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 8 Thomas St, New Skelton.

15th September - Battle of Flers-Courcelette. This was a further phase in the Battle of the Somme and it lasted until the 22nd of September.
It was notable for the introduction of tanks, 49 in all, by the British.
Only 15 made it to No Mans Land, but they were considered to have had a devastating effect on German morale.
The British forces made initial gains of some 2 km within the first three days, something of an achievement at the time, and particularly during the Battle of the Somme.
Led by tanks the villages of Martinpuich, Flers and Courcelette fell to the Allies, as did the much sought-after High Wood. Nevertheless, a combination of poor weather and extensive German reinforcements halted the British and Canadian advance on 17 September.

The Allies had again suffered heavy casualties, including Raymond Asquith, the son of the British Prime Minister Herbert Asquith.
15th September - Near Bapaume/Albert, Somme.
Death of WILLIAM WATSON, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 38 Back Lane, Skelton.


German Trench.
 16th September - Near Bapaume/Albert, Somme.
Death of DANIEL TAYLOR, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 6 Prospect Place, Skelton.

16th September - Near Bapaume/Albert, Somme.
Death of HORACE WILLOW, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 24 Yeoman St, Skelton.

17th September - All 3 near Bapaume/Albert, Somme.
Death of ROBERT COOKE, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 31 Cleveland St, Skelton Green.

Death of JAMES E HART, 13th Bn Durham Light Infantry,
on Skelton War Memorial, address unknown.

Death of HERBERT JACKSON, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 20 Park St, Skelton.

Field Marshal D Haig.
 25th September - Rouen, Base Hospital,
Death of BENJAMIN E NUNN, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 5 Holmebeck Rd, N Skelton.

27th September - Near Albert, Somme.
Death of JOHN W HARDWICK, 4th Bn Yorkshire Regiment.
of 4 Thomas St, New Skelton.

28th September - Near Arras.
Death of JOHN W RUDD, 6th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 23 Harker St, Skelton.

Field Marshal Douglas Haig and his Staff were accused of sending these thousands of young men to their deaths when it was not necessary.
He argued that without the Somme offensive the French would have been overcome at Verdun and the War would have been lost.

David Lloyd-George.
Prime Minister
1916 - 22
9th October - Near Albert, Somme.
Death of J W SKIPPER, 9th Bn Yorkshire Regiment,
of 16 Vaughan St, N Skelton.

11th November - Near Bapaume/Albert Somme.
Death of ARTHUR COOKE, 5th Bn Yorkshire Regt,
of 31 Cleveland St, Skelton Green.

Nov 14th - Local miner records - "Henry Storey fell down cellar steps at the Green Inn, Skelton."

December - Lloyd-George, with Conservative support, replaced Asquith as Prime Minister.
Next Page - 1917
Previous Page - 1915.
Contents Page